The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-13

| tropical plant and threatens It's destruction
Threat Of extermination always quickens the
reproductive processes In plants The little
even though It does not grow more than six
inches high, will have bloom and mature 9
seed. In the tropics cotton grows almost into
tree but produces little fruit; in temperate
zones it is 'dwarfed in size, but Increased In
| fruitfulness May 1t not be that the chilling
1t gets in early spring predisposes IL to fruit
| fulness? It would seem that young plants
keep up during the season. II they start out
| to make a large, luxurlant stalk they seem To
strive to carry It out to the end.
Our individual experience has been in favor
| quite as we'll, and ts consequently somewhat
harder to work, but fruits better, opens early
and can be housed and sold early in the sea
son. Then again, early planting Is more APT
| to bring good stands, for there Is then usually
enough moisture In the soil still to bring the
plants up: later 1t Is apt to be too dry. After
trying "planters" and other modern modes o.
planting cotton, we have gone back to the old
by double-foot plow and either knocking of
with board or leveling down With harrow
Cotton seed will not come up through thick
covering OF earth, but they will sprout and
| get ready to come up when thus covered, and
will appear above the surface promptly when
| the superfuous dirt Is removed by board OF
harrow. Bear in mind, this knocking of OIL
narrowing Is not labor lost It is really equiv
have tried the broadcast narrowing Of cotton
with smoothing harrow. 1t was done the
! first time Just as the cotton began to come up
The harrow was run obliquely across the rows
About week later It was run again at right
angles to the first. 1t may be run sQuarely
across the rows, but never up and down them
for in the latter case II would almost certainly
| injure the stand. Where the land was clean
satisfactory even where land was not perfect
| ly clean. the stand was not much injured. II
no rain has fallen since the soil was stirred by
where the soil is crusted It works finely.
If one does not use harrow the scrape
should be started just as soon as the first cot.
ton makes It's appearance. The wing next the
cotton should be set perfectly fiat and the cot
most meet. Very little dirt will be thrown on
the young cotton, and even II some ie, II will
not interfere seriously with its coming up
should the ground be crusted, the crust will
be broken; moreover, the grass which usually
comes up with the cotton will be killed. Moth.
ing contributes more to the easy, pleasant
Ing 1t early and plowing It often in the early
stages Of growth. We generally leave too
much for the hoe do. By running the plow
early, properly and often the hoe-work may
that unless the cost OF production can be re,
duced there will be very little profit In cotton
at present prices.
As soon as cotton. planting is finished, early.
Ing. II planted In water-fnrrow manure may
now be dropped near the hill OF corn. and the
first plowing will cover 1t up. In this case al.
so set the wing OF scrape next the corn so 1t
will run very flat and throw only moderate
quantity Of dirt into the water-furrow and
about the corn. 1t Is quite injurious to corn
to dirt 1t heavily when II Is young, and force
1t to throw out new roots near the surface be
throws out new circles Of roots at successive
joints, one set above the other, but not all at
once. A considerable interval OF time elapses
between the formation OF successive whorls OF
roots. But deep drifting interferes with the
course Of nature and causes new roots to form
prematurely. Again, by only partially filling
the water-furrow at the first working, more
dirt is thrown into 1t at the second working,
ly, dispensing with all hoe-work. Where corn
is not planted In water-furrow we have found
1t an excellent plan to use twister or turn
ing shovel, and starting In center OF middles
bed up with bar side next the corn. The last
furrow can be run very near the corn, dirting
II lightly, but enough to cover up young grass
effectually II 1t Is done early enough. We
contend that hoe need never enter corn.
field. Such siding gives good opportunity
to put manure on each side Of corn TO be COW
cred at the next working.
We repeat the recommendation heretofore
given to supplement the corn crop with one
Of the recently introduced miilets or sor.
ghums, as kaff1r corn or milo maize. Kaffir
corn is nothing like ordinary corn IL resem.
bles milo maize, but has dwarfer habit and
natures earlier. It and milo maize have
value them more for their seed, which are
about as valuable as ordinary corn for stock
feed. II not more valuable than corn, why
drought better, and will make crop where
corn would utterly fall. II one Is forced to
rely upon thin uplands to make corn. he had
better plant kaffir corn or an early maturing
strain of milo maize, rather than common
former certain
produce crop under the conditions mention
ed-especially in a dry season-than the lat
rich lands, but eonfine it to these, and plant
kaffir corn on thin uplands. To those who
have never cultivated the latter, we may say.
Its culture Is similar to that Of ordinary sor-
Raising, supplies at home Is the foremost
and most important Of all problems to the
cottoa-raiser. u Is useless to attempt i'm
Of any kind until the farm is
il he buys provisions. The experience Of the M
last twenty years has most thoroughly demon.
strated this. Go where you will. the men who
raise supplies at home are the PROSPEROUS far
mers. Their lands are not mortgaged. They
do not have to ask merchants to run them.
For this reason we stress every crop which
will help the farmer to raise the provisions he
needs; kaffir corn and milo maize strike US
as very promising grain producing crops.
They are generally extolled rs forage plants
we do not prize them highly for that; ordina-
ry corn sown In drills has no superior as for
age plant. If one will manage 1t properly
rs q substitute. 1t Js urged upon every far.
Iner, who is at all short Of forage, or likely to
be, to SOW q good breadth OF land in drilled
corn this month. 1t may be sown at any time
from April to August, but the early sowings
are the most satisfactory-m apt to succeed.
Prepare the land very thoroughly by repeated
plowings, rollings and harrowngs; make
1rills four feet apart to admit plenty OF air
and light; SOW seed so that grains may be
rom two TO three incheS apart, and when up |
cultivate with sweep. Some think forage corn |
should be sown very thickly to make the |
stalks very small. OF course very large stalks
.re objectionable, but II each plant has not
he opportunity Of developing itself pretty
thoroughly. the forage Will lnck quality; II |
will be tastelesg and not reliShed by stock
Zach stalk ought to have sufficient opportu.
lity to enable II to make little nubbln, and |
he crop should not be gathered until the little
lubbin Is in roasting ear.
Another very valuable food CROP which may
'e started the last of this month, Is German
nlllet. It Is an exceedingly strong, Mt utrtious
perhaps than any other un-
ess exception be made Of clover hay and pea
ines. Whilst II may not equal tb ese In some
aspects. 1t Is better bal anced food. 1t calls
or rather rich land, but grows well on poor
and when matured and properly prepared.
table manure, cotton seed meal, ANN lated
nrtilizers or composts will answer. The land
hould be prepared, as described above, for
rilled corn, half bushel Of seed sown on an
ere and very lightly narrowed in and then !
shallow, should be rolled ufler they are 8
arrowed In. II inSures both more prompt |
nd more certain termination OF the seed. t
remember that German millet should be cut I
romptly as soon as blooms appear, the seed l
,rm ana mature very qnioSty aiter tne